SCHNEIDER TO THE DEVILS
The New Jersey Devils acquired goaltender Cory Schneider from the Vancouver Canucks for a first-round draft pick (9th overall) in 2013.
What does it give the New Jersey Devils
The Devils needed a new goaltender of the future, with both {P Martin Brodeur} and {P Johan Hedberg} nearing the end of their careers, so they moved their first rounder in this year's draft to land Schneider--who is already a starter at the NHL level. It creates a bit of a logjam in goal for the 2013-14 campaign but Brodeur is expected to retire after that (and his contract runs out, too). Getting Schneider for the ninth overall pick was a great coup for GM Lou Lamoriello.
What does it give the Vancouver Canucks
To paraphrase the great Vince Lombardi of Green Bay Packers fame, "What is going on here?" The Canucks were expected to trade or buy out veteran netminder {P Roberto Luongo}, and move forward with Schneider. Instead, they opted for plan B--dealing away Schneider for a first rounder. The Canucks landed a quality young forward in Bo Horvat in this deal but they probably didn't get enough for their future starter. Now, they need to mend fences with the Luongo camp. Strange move.
Fantasy impact
Schneider's long-range fantasy value may be better in New Jersey than Vancouver, but for now his impact could take a hit if he has to share the load with Brodeur for one season. On the other hand, Luongo's fantasy impact could be huge if he stays in Vancouver as their clear No. 1 netminder now. Brodeur's value also takes a hit, but his was short-term value regardless of the situation.
